A graduate of West Texas A&M University, Ms. Olson holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Economics. She brought extensive experience in the areas of non-profit organizational management, delivery of community based service programs, community needs assessment, grants administration, non-profit finance and accounting practices when joining the Parenting Cottage. Carla has served as Executive Director of the Parenting Cottage since 2009. Since her tenure began, Carla has built numerous collaborations within the community to expand services, developed new programs and utilized the resources of the Parenting Cottage to address unmet needs in the community including coordinating efforts to bring the HOPES program to Lubbock County.

She currently serves as Chairman of the South Plains Coalition for Child Abuse Prevention (CCAP), President of the United Way Association, on the Board of Directors for Lubbock Area United Way, on the Community Advisory Committee for the Jr. League of Lubbock, the Law Enforcement Training Committee-South Plains Association of Governments, Advisory Committee for the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) -South Plains Association of Governments and on the Board of Directors for the Smiles Foundation which connects South Plains children in need with specialized orthodontic services.

Prior to joining the Parenting Cottage, Ms. Olson held the position of Manager of Community Health Outreach for Covenant Health System in Lubbock for almost a decade. Ms. Olson managed the delivery of outreach patient care services covering a 16 county area including primary care, dental services, mammography services and a seniors and special needs exercise program. She was instrumental in the opening of Covenant’s Children’s Dental Clinics in Lubbock and Artesia, New Mexico for underserved children.

Her collaborative outreach programs received prestigious recognition during her tenure at Covenant Health System including the Texas Hospital Association’s Excellence Award in Community Outreach, the American Cancer Society’s Harold P. Freeman Award and the Texas Dental Association’s Recognition of Service to the underserved population of Texas.

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Since 2002, the Parenting Cottage has been a proud Lubbock Area United Way partner agency and providing services to address a broad range of community needs including advocating for children and working to both increase awareness of and prevent child abuse.